Nullable return types in PHP7
PHP 7.1 Now supports nullable return types. The first RFC I linked to is the one they went for:
function nullOrString(int $foo) : ?string{ return $foo%2 ? "odd" : null;}
old answer:
Since my comment was actually an answer to the question:
PHP 7 won't support nullable return-types just yet, but there's an RFC out to address just that, it aims to land in PHP 7.1. If it passes, the syntax would then affect all type-hints (both return types and type-hints):
public function returnStringOrNull(?array $optionalArray) : ?string{ if ($optionalArray) { return implode(', ', $optionalArray);//string returned here } return null;}
There's also a competing RFC to add union types, which would be able to do the same thing, but would look different:
public function returnStringOrNull(array|null $optionalArray) : string|null{ if ($optionalArray) { return implode(', ', $optionalArray);//string returned here } return null;}
For now, though, you'll have to write:
public function returnStringOrNull( array $optionalArray = null){ if ($optionalArray) { return implode(', ', $optionalArray); }}
Or just return an empty string to be consistent with the return type, and check falsy value:
public function returnStringOrNull( array $optionalArray = null) : string{ if ($optionalArray) { return implode(', ', $optionalArray); } return '';}//call$string = $x->returnStringOrNull();if (!$string) { $string = $x->returnStringOrNull(range(1, 10));}
Nullable Types are available in PHP 7.1.
This is a syntax example:
public function getName(): ?string{ return $this->name; // name can be null}
PHP 7.1 is now GA and you can upgrade from PHP 7.0 (there are only few backward incompatible changes that you have to check)
It works with any type.
Example:
public function getOpportunity(): ?Opportunity{ return $this->opportunity;}